Hosts: Trelleborg and Stevns Klint
Nordic World Heritage Conference 2025
Welcome to the Nordic World Heritage Conference 2025
The Nordic World Heritage Sites gather every year for a conference for mutual inspiration and exchange of experiences. This strong tradition began 30 years ago.
This year, the conference will be held in Denmark, organized by the two World Heritage Sites, Stevns Klint and Trelleborg - one of the five Danish Viking Age Ring Fortresses. The theme for this year’s conference is “Raising value – working together on World Heritage”.
RAISING VALUE | working together on World Heritage
All World Heritage Sites constitute a strong platform for creating relevance and strengthening the values of UNESCO World Heritage locally, regionally and internationally.
The conference will focus on how Nordic World Heritage sites anchor, disseminate and strengthen their strong values through collaboration.
Join the conference to be inspired by visionary presentations and practical examples of strong collaborations, to discuss and participate in workshops and not least: To strengthen and expand your network.
We guarantee you something relevant to your own site including shared place-based narratives, volunteers in research projects and communities for local social and economic development.
PROGRAM | Daily schedule
8th of September - Monday
Pretour: The living nature and geology of Møn
9.00 – 18.00
Experience the spectacular Møns Klint, meet an ambassador of UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Møn and see how they protect nature through partnerships including the large-scale nature protection project Life Orchids.
Møns Klint may be adopted on the World Heritage List when we visit.
Schedule:
- 9.00 Bus departure
Comwell Køge Strand 111, 4600 Køge, Denmark - 11.00 Tour at Møns Klint and partners of Møn
- 16.00 Departure from Møn
- 18.00 Arrival
Comwell Køge Strand 111, 4600 Køge, Denmark
Practical:
We recommend outdoor and weather appropriate clothing. Pretour includes a hike to the beach along Møns Klint for about 1,5 hours with guide.
Optional is a less challenging trip along the top of Møns Klint.
Icebreaker
19.30 – 21.00
Comwell Køge Strand 111, 4600 Køge, Denmark
Welcome, network drinks and tapas. An early kick off to the conference with presentations from hosts and others.
Practical:
The icebreaker takes place at Comwell Køge Strand, where it is also possible to book rooms for your stay.
Tickets for the evening are free but registration is required.
Drinks are at your own expense.
9th of September - Tuesday
Conference day 1.
8.00 - 19.15
Site visit and conference at Stevns Klint
8.00 Bus departure for Stevns Klint
Comwell Køge Strand 111, 4600 Køge, Denmark
Coffee and arrival.
Opening session
9.00 – 9.15
Welcome to the Nordic World Heritage Conference 2025
Nordic World Heritage Association. Stevns Municipality and Stevns Klint World Heritage Office.
Trelleborg Viking Fortress and Slagelse Municipality.
Moderator: Tove Damholt
Theme session – World Heritage Raising Value
9.15 – 10.30
Talks and micro-workshops:
- The Importance of World Heritage: How can Nordic countries contribute? Speaker TBA.
- The value of World Heritage in a local community. By Esben Danielsen, Director, Institute for Cultural Analysis.
- Nordic examples: Stevns Klint and another Nordic site TBA.
10.30 – 13.00
- Joint event and photo.
- Workshop: Local community working together. Sharing your experiences, receive new inspiration and strengthen your network.
- Lunch.
Site visit – Stevns Klint
Visit our World Heritage Site and new Visitor Centre and experience how we work together.
13.00 – 17.00
- Visitor Centre: Stevns Klint Experience – Connecting to nature
- Cold War Fortress Stevnsfort – Geological World Heritage in a Cold War Fortress
- Stevns Klint Partners - Creating value together
Dinner and community
17.00-18.30 Informal dinner within the limestone quarry – and a surprise.
18.30 Bus departure for Comwell Køge Strand.
10th of September - Wednesday
Conference day 2.
8.30 – 22.00
Conference at Comwell Køge Strand and Site Visit: experience Trelleborg.
Update and inspiration
8.30 – 9.45
- UNESCO in time of change – including micro-workshop. Speaker TBA
- Nordic World Heritage Association, Chairman Einar Sæmundsen.
- Six Nordic Highlights: What’s going on right now?
- Presentation: Next year’s conference.
- Coffee
Theme session: engaging volunteers in science and research
10.15 – 12.00
- Volunteering: From Helping Hand to Committed Idealist, Cecilie Johansen Institute for Cultural Analysis.
- Engaging people in science? How and why? Speaker TBA.
- Workshop: Try our supertool: Partnerbingo. Get inspired, strengthen network, laugh.
12.00 Bus departure for Trelleborg Viking Age Ring Fortress
Site visit: Viking-Age Ring Fortress Trelleborg and Experimental Archaeology
One of five Viking Ring Fortresses inscribed in 2023. Experience the site and how we engage visitors and volunteers and work with experimental archeology.
13.00 – 16.45
- Experimental Archaeology at the Longhouse
- Mead tasting and Viking snacks
- “The Thing” – democratic dilemma game
- Viking games
16.45 Bus departure for Comwell Køge Strand
Traditional Festive Dinner
19.30 Comwell Køge Strand.
Join our traditional and joyful festive dinner.
11th of September - Thursday
7.30 – 19.00
Posttour: In the footsteps of King Harald Bluetooth.
7.30 -10.00 Departure Comwell Køge for Kongernes Jelling
10.00 - 13.00 Visit Jelling UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Guided tour at the monument.
- Visit the unique special exhibition. The golden treasure from Vindelev.
- Lunch
13.15 – 14.30 Departure Kongernes for the Viking-Age Ring Fortress Nonnebakken
14.30 - 17.00 Nonnebakken - a “hidden” UNESCO World Heritage site.
- How to work with a hidden site
- Guided tour through Odense and the monument area
17.00 Departure from Nonnebakken, Odense
Option to take the train from Odense station or the bus back to Køge.
19.00 Arrival Comwell Køge Strand.
Practical:
We recommend outdoor and weather appropriate clothing. At the end og the post tour it is optional to either stay on the bus all the way to Køge or to leave at Odense Station at 17.00.
ACCOMODATION | Special rate
Accommodation is not included in the conference fee.
For accommodation we recommend our partner Comwell Køge Strand, where part of the conference takes place. For special rate - rooms need to be booked through the concierge by calling +45 56 65 36 90 (press 3 for booking).
PLEASE NOTE to mention STEVNS KLINT EXPERIENCE as reference when booking - for a reduced rate for conference participants.
PRACTICAL | Information
The Conference takes place in three main locations:
- Comwell Køge Strand, 4600 Køge
- Stevns Klint Experience, 4673 Rødvig Stevns
- Trelleborg Viking Fortress, National Museum of Denmark, 4200 Slagelse
Dates:
- Sept. 8th to Sept. 11th (4 days) - see the full program above
Registration:
- Registration deadline is June 18th. - however, please register as soon as possible.
Conference fees:
- Pretour: 375 DKK (appr. 50 EURO)
- Two conference days: 2.945 DKK (appr. 395 EURO)
- One conference day: 1.700 DKK (appr. 228 EURO)
- Posttour: 550 DKK (appr. 74 EURO)
Click to register and get your conference ticket
Accomodation:
- Special rates at Comwell Køge Strand (see detailed information above)
- Reference STEVNS KLINT EXPERIENCE when booking
STEVNS KLINT | In 2014, Stevns Klint was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the world’s best-preserved site for evidence of the asteroid impact that struck Earth 66 million years ago. This event led to mass extinction and changed the course of life on our planet. The impact traces are found within Stevns Klint's chalk and limestone layers, marked by a thin boundary clay.
TRELLEBORG | On September 17, 2023, the Viking fortress Trelleborg, along with Denmark's four other Viking-age ring fortresses—Borgring, Nonnebakken, Fyrkat, and Aggersborg—was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List during the World Heritage Committee Congress in Riyadh.
This recognition highlights the fortresses as exceptional examples of Viking-era architecture and Denmark's cultural legacy. It also marks a new chapter of collaboration among five Danish museums, strengthening efforts to preserve and share this unique history with the world.
